author
Allen Glasser
1908–1971
An early science fiction fan and writer, he helped shape fandom in the 1930s and edited one of the field’s first fan magazines. Though his published fiction was brief, his name remains tied to the lively beginnings of science fiction culture in New York.
1 Audiobook
The Martian
by A. R. (Alec Rowley) Hilliard, Allen Glasser
About the author
Born in New York on September 4, 1908, Allen Glasser was part of the first generation of organized science fiction fandom in the United States. He became active in New York fan circles and was associated with the Scienceers, an early club that brought together young readers, writers, and future editors who were excited about the new world of science fiction.
He is best remembered for helping launch and edit The Time Traveller in 1932, a pioneering fanzine often described as one of the earliest science fiction fan magazines. Sources also credit him with serving as president of the Scienceers and with writing a small body of fiction in the 1930s, including The Cavemen of Venus and, with A. R. Hilliard, The Martian.
Glasser died in October 1971. Even though his writing career was short, his role in early fandom gave him a lasting place in science fiction history, especially as part of the energetic community that helped turn the genre from a magazine pastime into a real fan culture.